It takes a gift or pledge of $50,000 to endow a scholarship fund at Gonzaga University.

There are many ways to fund an endowed scholarship; such options include cash, securities, gifts-by-will, life income gifts, life insurance gifts, or real estate and personal property.

Gifts for endowment are never spent. Instead, they are prudently invested according to the University's Endowment Investment Policy. Each year, approximately five percent of each scholarship fund's market value is awarded to students according to the donor's wishes. Any remaining earnings are reinvested in the fund to help assure continued growth.

When a donor establishes an endowment at Gonzaga, that donor has the opportunity to choose a name for the fund that will live on in perpetuity at the University. Donors often choose to memorialize a loved one in naming their endowments. Other donors have established funds that honor someone special, such as a beloved teacher or close friend. Every year these endowed scholarships are listed in the publication, " Names That Live."

Many donors choose to leave their scholarships "unrestricted," meaning that the University has the greatest flexibility in designating the awards to those students with the greatest financial need and academic merit. Occasionally donors choose to impose certain general criteria for their scholarship funds. For example, some scholarships are reserved for students in a particular field of study or who are from a certain geographic region. Criteria are broadly defined to assure that all available funds can be matched to eligible students.

For more information on how to establish an endowed scholarship at Gonzaga University, please contact: